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Grateful For Vince Young’s Ghost

April 5th, 2014

The intrigue surrounding the 2014 NFL Draft is great theater. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. The pressure is immense and growing in Houston for the Texans to draft Johnny Football with the No. 1 overall pick.

But the Texans won’t be pushed around. They’ve been down this road before.

The Johnny Football billboards around Houston (shown above) aren’t phasing new Texans coach Bill O’Brien. He says 10 quarterbacks are under consideration and he and his general manager will not be steamrolled.

Back in 2006, there was even more pressure on Houston and then general manager Charley Casserly to grab hometown Houston hero quarterback Vince Young with the No. 1 overall pick. Casserly didn’t, and he didn’t even go with the popular consolation prize, Reggie Bush.

The Texans drafted defensive end Mario Williams, who gave them two Pro Bowl seasons and is still going strong — 13 sacks last year for Buffalo.

Texans ownership knows the risks of drafting a QB with question marks at No. 1 as well as any other team. The ghost of Vince Young is alive and well.

Bucs fans like Joe, who enjoy thinking of Johnny Football and/or Teddy Bridgewater finding their way to Tampa Bay at the No. 7 overall pick, have legitimate hope in their fantasies. The Texans likely will be wowed by the awesome thought of pairing Jadeveon Clowney with J.J. Watt. The Rams and Falcons don’t need a quarterback. The Browns seem in love with Derek Carr. The Raiders think Matt Schaub will have them Super Bowl bound.

Today, Joe is grateful for Vince Young’s ghost, and for whatever fear the likes of Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Christian Ponder and other recent firt-round QBs might conjure in teams drafting ahead of the Bucs.

Joe has no fear in drafting Bridgewater or Johnny Football. Bucs fans can pretend the Bucs quarterback position is in good shape, but it’s not. Derrick Brooks calls the situation “the elephant in the room.” Joe agrees. And Joe wants to see it addressed immediately.

78 Responses to “Grateful For Vince Young’s Ghost”

Couldn’t agree more with you @ Joe !!! Raised in Tampa until I was 21 now living in NYC at 29 and get all my Bucs news , from this great site Daily !!!!! Johnny Football or jimmy Garapolo for me !!!getting Jimmy would have us trading back and acquiring more picks !!! Because he will not be around come the 2nd rd!

Nothing, absolutely NOTHING would excite me more than for L&L to feel either Johnny or Teddy is worthy of our #7 pick and for one of them to be there. Not even Clowney or Mack or Watkins. It would be the beginning of a brand new Bucs era.

What to do with johnny football- I just don’t know with that kid. I have sat in the stands in awe and watched him beat my beloved tide. He is such a small guy. If we have josh to play early if we have glennon who would be an above average back up and he would really push johnny it might be a great situation.

Bucs fans want a “franchise” QB but there isn’t one in this draft. It would be stupid to just take one of the top rated QB’s that are available this year and call them a “franchise” QB. There just isn’t one this year.

@ Harry,
So we draft a QB with so many questions…. What if they suck? Again, I have nothing against JF or Teddy, but Teddy’s arm isn’t that good and JF runs around to find a WR(which won’t work in the NFL). So what then? Just a lost pick?

TOO BAD , SO SAD JOE. IT SHOULD NOW BE APPARENT TO EVEN YOU THAT THE BUCS WILL GO OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OR WIDE RECEIVER IN THE DRAFT.( UNLESS KALIL MACK FALLS TO US ). TIME TO STOP BEING DELUSIONAL AND REALIZE THAT LOVIE , THANK GOD , DOES NOT THINK LIKE YOU.

Unfortunately there is a new elephant in the room and hes bigger than the previous one. Wideout is a huge concern and L&L just showed their hand to everyone at the table. I would love to draft a QB in the first but who is he going to throw to? V-Jax is not elite imo, and he cannot be our only hands on the field. Its safe to say that every 1-2&3 DB we face this year is faster than him. He will never be open.

V-jax isnt always open. Plus I saw many times last year when he dropped passes right off his hands. he is in decline, and has less help than ever. I like the optimism, but feeling ok with rookie receivers in rounds 2-5 to take pressure off him is very risky. Mike Will coming in as a rookie and being productive is not an every draft occurrence.

This team has only one difference maker who can make plays and he is not v-jax and he is coming off a shoulder injury. Martin can’t carry the load alone. Offense is going to struggle big time unless we get some quality guys who can make a big impact as rookies.

“But the Texans won’t be pushed around. They’ve been down this road before.”

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Coming from you I don’t understand this statement. Why is it not in the Texans best interest to listen to their fanbase and draft Manziel? You saying that they won’t be pushed around makes me think that Manziel is not a good fit for them and that they should pass up on him even though they are in need of a QB worse than we are. Especially, one of their own home grown prodigies.

All off season you’ve been pounding your drum saying the Bucs would be remiss to pass on him if he is available. What gives? Why is he not good enough for the Texans, Jaguars, Browns, and the Raiders first pick but somehow he’s perfect for us? If Manziel is really all that then why wouldn’t Houston be stupid to pass on Manziel? If they do and he makes it down to the 7th pick, wouldn’t that make the Bucs stupid if they selected Manziel? Especially when so many QB needy teams already passed on him.

Somewhere we have to eventually use logic. If Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland, and Oakland were to pass on Manziel, that in itself, would be precedence enough to raise the red flags. What is it that they know that we are to stupid to figure out. I don’t want Licht to behave like Dominik and choose players who are high risk for high reward with our first pick. It would be to much of a gamble when there are so many safer choices.

Going to laugh and celebrate to the joes when Johnny football isn’t taken at 7 when lovie And licht pass on him for a wr. His teammate that bailed him out. Mike Evans.

It’s not that I’m a Johnny football hater. I loved him in college. That duke game was phenomenal. But it was duke.

Manziels toughness, arm strength and accuracy aren’t questioned. But his decision making , lack of anticipation , ability to read defenses, pre-post snap. He misses too many reads and improvises too often and it’s unecessary with wrs open.

He’s got a lot to clean up but you can’t teach vision. And I don’t think he has it. I don’t think he’s the qb that can find passing lanes. He’s short. Yes Wilson and Brees are too. But their intangibles are off the chart and they win from the pocket. Wilson uses his improvisation skills when needed. Not all the time.

Not sure I comprehend how Mario Williams having 13 sacks last year for the Bills makes the Texans seem like a well run team. They’re like the highest expectations-biggest letdown team the past five years running.

But anything to spin a Johnny Manziel story on here…Joe’s smart and knows what drives traffic.

If you don’t think Williams was a good pick for the Texans in ’06, then Joe can’t help you. –JOe

QB was also the elephant in the room when Brooks played. First they tried a high 1st round draft pick (D.ilfer). Didn’t work too well. Then a second round draft pick (K.ing). Didn’t work too well. Then they brought in journeyman Brad J.ohnson, not to be confused with Joe M.ontana or John E.lway, and they did OK.

QB was also the elephant in the room when Brooks played. First they tried a high 1st round draft pick (D.ilfer). Didn’t work too well. Then a second round draft pick (K.ing). Didn’t work too well. Then they brought in journeyman B.rad J.ohnson, not to be confused with Joe M.ontana or John E.lway, and they did OK.

The fact that Joe writes that he fantasizes about John Football is a little weird. Then if you point out the legitimate flaws in John Football’s game, he accuses you of being jealous of John Football’s ability to “pull.” Speak for yourselves Joes. Of course JF “pulls” in legendary status. I’m sure he is landing 9’s and 10’s every night. Not the reason I dislike him, it is one of his more admirable qualities.

Please don’t make up stuff. Joe knows and has written about Johnny Football’s question marks. If Johnny didn’t have them, then Johnny would be the consensus No. 1 or No. 3 pick. –Joe

His attitude is the problem. We all know what he went through at the Peyton Manning camp. Then the autograph situation. Then as soon as he gets back on the field and experiences success, he shows his ass with his hand gestures. His coach tries to speak to him and he turns his back on his HC. On national television.

The trademarking of “Johnny Football” and “The House that Johnny Built” are huge concerns for me. There is a small chance that he has the ability to be Joe Montana on the field, but there is a huge chance he has the attitude to be T.O. off the field.

No matter who the Bucs select, some fans will like the picks and some fans will not. It’s like the government, voices of reasonable opposition and speculation are ignored from the top, same deal here with the Bucs. It makes for interesting conversation though. Thanks for the back and forth.

Again, Joe, if Mike was banished because he liked to party and had the nerve to get stabbed, how does that look for Mancrush? And Mike wasn’t even arrested, fined or suspended, caught with drugs, no DUI’s, no slugging cabbies, no hitting teammates with helmets, never accused of rape, murder, or caught Winslowing.

You really think Lovie will draft a partier after just getting rid of one? And now we are in desperate need of a No.2 AND No.3 WR, not to mention poor talent and depth at guard. I’m for Mike Evans.

Mike ( house-party) Williams, really forced Lovie/Lichts hand, they have talked and warned Williams several times already. This was Lovie’s ” Toes on the Line” moment. every new coach has to draw the line.

And @walkdaplank
there are more issues at hand then what you have heard, maybe the rest will come out and then maybe it will just disappear like the Freeman issues.

Joe will keep posting Johnny articles because he hopes and prays (and fantasizes) every night for Johnny. But Joe isn’t dumb. Joe KNOWS the pick will not be Johnny.

Sorry, but Joe knows no such thing. Joe is actually confident the Bucs have Manziel very high on their board and will defer to Tedford on his QB assessments. Please don’t speak for Joe. –Joe

It could be Teddy if he falls but he’s not falling, that’s typical draft BS by teams in front wanting someone to pay the price to come up and take him. But the only two guys the Texans are considering are the same two guys they always have: Bridgewater and Clowney. Bortles reminds me of Sanchez 2.0, probably coming out too early and could use another year. If he’s thrown right in as starter I can see him flaming out quick. He needs a year to sit, at least.

The pick is now locked in on an offensive weapon, of which the Bucs have the fewest in the league (or right there with Jacksonville and Oakland). It’s either gonna be Evans, Erbon or Watkins; if not them, then an offensive lineman to give McCown more time to breathe. But QB is out of the question as the first pick. In fact I think it’s 50/50 the Bucs draft a QB at all.

What’s going to suck the absolute most is having non-stop updates on Manziel’s career once he’s drafted somewhere else. Joe and Eric and others will be waiting to pounce if he has 1 or 2 good games. Others will be waiting to pounce when he has 1 or 2 horrible games. Either way it won’t be relevant to the Bucs ever, so my hope is when Johnny goes elsewhere there can be moratorium on talking about him. Like there should be about Freeman. Non-Bucs players? Do not give the slightest eff about them.

Frankly…Johnny has some skills…but let me ask a question…I keep seeing a picture of him with a firework of some kind in his mouth. What if a spark flew into his eye and ruined his sight in one eye? End of career…bye bye multimillion dollar contract. Seems he is a talented knucklehead. And he is like Favre in one aspect…he plays his game….Favre did to and was rather uncoachable. That is why I’d take Rodgers over Favre both in thier primes, every time… and he will likely have more rings over his career, among other things. Like I said about Favre….he would do one really stupid thing and two great things in every game. And if you could make him pay….like Hardy could have on the one dropped pass right in his chest decades ago, he can become far less than great. And if his game slips, that gun slinging attitude will stop you from winning SB’s.

Lol I dont think Eric is an apologist. Fact is our offense is in a scary bad position right now with very little proven players. You dont have to like Mike Will but you are crazy if you think trading him for a measly 6th round pick does anything but hurt us as a whole.

Offensive coordinator with very little NFL Experience on an offensive team with minimal experience could spell disaster. 4 or 5 wins this year is a very real possibility. It’s depressing.

I’m not part of the Glennon Mob. I’m not slobbering over Johnny Football.

But I totally understand why the Joes are. The Joes are good reporters, fans, but let’s face it, they are also business guys. And I give them credit they know their business. It’s about clicks and posts.

When the Joes run Johnny Football posts the board lights up with posts both pro and con. That is what counts. Attention. I respect the Joes for knowing their business even though I’m no Johnny Football fan.

@Couch
“You dont have to like Mike Will but you are crazy if you think trading him for a measly 6th round pick does anything but hurt us as a whole.”
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I actually had to eat crow because when they were rookies I pronounced that MW would be better overall than Dez Bryant, WRONG!

So I did like him but how long can you support and back a player that has minimal interest in football and does everything except what he’s suppose to be doing?

You’re right, right now we are not ready to field a offense at the WR position and RG but I am saying be patient. There is time to get quality players there and not compromise the vision of becoming relevant again in December and January. Remember, the franchise to build a team that the community can again be proud of and he surely isn’t.

I guess in a nutshell some of us is split from the glass empty crowd because MW résumé doesn’t warrant the worry and stress. He’s replaceable, that’s a fact. If we go 8-8 with promise and lose close game I’m in a better place as a fan because we are finally doing things the right way. Not having any drafted players from 08 to almost 11 is disastrous- that’s the sinister part. We should at least have have or a quarter of the draft on the roster but we don’t and that’s who should field the complaints!

People go put on the bama games the last few years. This defenses were so stacked and so well coached. We could stop the little guy. I was at the game he beat bama. Man I have never seen anything like it. I’m not saying draft him but the guy has the it factor. The rest of the team feeds off it like a bunch of crazed dogs. I never agree with joe but he may be right this time.

“Please let Johnny football fall to 7 and we grab him then grab Benjamin out of fsu in the second round.”

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this could work but benji needs some time. we can also pick up a receiver after the draft during the second freeagency period. I do wish that the williams and zuttah trades were better because right now we have holes almost as big as qb.

Go back and watch the Bama game this past season, it was not pretty. And I’ll point out that if it wasn’t for Evans, who will also be a first round pick, He would have only had around 100 yards passing and and his TD/INT ratio would have looked a lot worse. Look at the other two top QBs, you think they had an Evans to throw to? No. And yet Bridgewater had similar stats, even a better completion percentage, than Manziel this season AND he didn’t have a first round star WR to throw to. I’m telling you right now, if it wasnt for Evans, we might not even be discussing Manziel in the first round. Bridgewater on the other hand, didnt need an Evans.

Now, I’m not as repulsed at the idea of drafting Manziel as I used to be, but I still don’t wont to draft him. This Manziel “hater” can admit he has some talent, even though in the eyes of a Manziel lover, aka Joe, Manziel can do no wrong. Fair? You be the judge.

It all comes down to risk. When you factor in his attitude, and the fact that scrambling QBs are more prone to injury, imo he is to much of a risk. Pass.

Just because if teams in front of the Bucs pass on Manziel, it doesn’t necessarily mean they believe he not a top prospect. It could very possibly mean they just have players rated higher and safer on their draft board. If Johnny can improve his pocket awareness, not only does he have the chance be a franchise QB but has the ability to be an elite playmaker at sports most important position where the Bucs have usually been terrible.

Right, Joe. Never mind that analysts say in most other draft years Bridgewater and Manziel would not be top ten picks. It’s only the weakness of this year’s QB crop that has them being predicted to be drafted so high. There is no blue chip QB in this draft. Not one. Even Bortles is widely considered to be overrated.

In the draft with the shallowest QB group in recent memory Joe wants the Bucs to take…what? That’s right, a QB. When the rest of the draft is deeper than any in recent memory in most other positions.

Yeah, great strategy there. For a second I thought you were Mark Dominik. Don’t let Manziel/Bridgewater be your Freeman, Joe. Stop pounding the table like Raheem did. You will regret it.

“In the draft with the shallowest QB group in recent memory Joe wants the Bucs to take…what? That’s right, a QB.”

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unlike last year’s crop where we chose the third qb aken and in the third round no less…

also, there are plenty of better qb’s in this year’s crop than we have on our roster. this year is way better than last and possibly next year. winston will stay in school and mariota sucks. that leaves hundley for now, and who knows what happens in a year.

Clearly the Bucs had a plan in place when they traded Williams and the name of that plan is Watkins or Evans, I would be surprised if any other names are called at 7 unless between now and draft day the Bucs are able to find a superstar receiver floating around somewhere, highly unlikely.

“In my opinion, he (Mike Evans) made Johnny Manziel, not the other way around,” an unnamed scout told NJ.com. “A lot of times, Manziel just ran around and threw it up for grabs, and (Evans) came down with it.”

Well Joe as u know we don’t hv a no.2 reciever, a no.3 reciever, nor do we hv any dept at reciever. I would b absolutely SHOCKED if they don’t go WR, WR in the first two rounds then get their QB(Aaron Murray) in the 3rd rd. Evans, Cooks, Murray sounds great to me!!!

I just got through reading several different opinions on the McCown signing by several national NFL analysts. Most of them said not to my surprise is that McCown was brought in to mentor Glennon.

Which brings me back to my point. I really do think Lovie and Tedford are going to run with McCown and Glennon in 2014. I still don’t think they take a QB in this draft. I think they DO like Glennon and what he has to offer. Maybe the analysts are seeing what I’m seeing?

I don’t think Lovie gives a rat’s ass about the Bucs QB position. He thinks he can take a team to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman, McCown, Dilfer, or even the dreaded dare I type it Mike Glennon. Yes I did say it.

There are a lot worse QBs on NFL rosters that has never had the success Vince Young has had …(NFL Rookie of the Year, 2 Pro Bowls, Playoff experience and Mobility). Vince has a career winning record of 31-19…
I hope some team gives this quarterback a try-out, even if it’s for third string…
GM/Coach, sit down and talk to this guy…I think he can help….

I think some of Josh Freeman’s biggest supporters are still healing after his departure. Evans is looking like the pick now if the Bucs stay at 7, McCown looked really good in his starts last season throwing to in what would be similar receiving core like he had in Chicago.